The current meeting of the World Economic Forum Annual Meeting takes place under the theme Collaboration for the Intelligent Age. In preparation for the meeting, a few key reports were released. The biennial Future of Jobs Report 2025 provides important inputs relating to three of the five sub-themes of the WEF meeting, namely Reimagining Growth, Industries for the Intelligent Age and Investing in People.
This report is of key importance to all institutions and individuals involved in teaching and training. After all, the responsibility to make the necessary changes to academic programmes and curricula depends not only on national governments and professional organisations but also resides with academics and other staff members of universities and other educational institutions. As reflective practitioners, academics can be expected to engage with real and expected shifts in the work environment as these relate to their subject fields.
The previous Future of Jobs Report appeared in May 2023, only a few months after the release of ChatGPT, which introduced the generative AI wave that swept across all areas of education, amongst others. The new report updates perspectives on job losses and on new jobs, per industry, per country and in relation to specific skills, etc. In addition, the new report also provides insights in the possible impact of GenAI, e.g. in a table indicating the capacity of GenAI to substitute a human in performing a given skill, per skills group (p. 44).
The shifting human-machine frontier, where human skills can be augmented through reskilling and upskilling, especially regarding AI, figures prominently in the report. Universities can play a key role in developing the skills augmenting humans towards achieving greater productivity or taking on new roles in the digital era.
The report can be downloaded from the SARUA website (here) or that of the WEF.
In addition to this WEF report, another very important report appeared late last year from the National Academies of the USA, namely Artificial Intelligence and the Future of Work. This report was developed by top experts in the fields of economy, computer science and areas of study related to human-systems integration, amongst others.
This report provides broader and well-informed perspectives, evaluations and estimates on AI and GenAI, highly relevant to university staff grappling with their positioning in view of AI developments. Finding 9 of the report is of direct relevance to universities:
“AI will have significant implications for education at all levels, from primary education, through college, through continuing education of the workforce. It will drive the demand for education in response to shifting job requirements, and the supply of education as AI provides opportunities to deliver education in new ways. It may also shift what is taught to the next generation to prepare them to take full advantage of future AI tools and advances.”
The report is available at: nap.nationalacademies.org/27644.
Together, these two reports provide both a broad perspective and detailed insights on how jobs/work can develop in a world in which AI is both inescapable and provides promising new opportunities.
Walter Claassen (SARUA Associate)
